Vital Signs u INFORMATION ABOUT THE BASIC BODY

Vital Signs u. INFORMATION ABOUT THE BASIC BODY CONDITIONS OF PATIENTS

HAVE YOU EVER HAD YOUR TEMPERATURE TAKEN u. WHY?

BODY TEMPERATURE u. DEFINE u. NORMAL RANGE

BODY TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT OF THE BALANCE BETWEEN HEAT LOSS AND HEAT PRODUCED IN THE BODY

Temperature Normal Ranges u Oral 97. 6 - 99. 6 F (36. 5 – 37. 5 C) u Rectal and Temporal 98. 6 -100. 6 F (37 - 38. 1 C) u Axillary 96. 6 - 98. 6 F (36 -37 C) u Aural This provides a measurement of body core temperature so there is no normal range.

BODY TEMPERATURE u. FACTORS THAT CHANGE BODY TEMPERATURE u. DEFINE HYPERTHERMIA, HYPOTHERMIA AND FEVER u. INDENTY 5 SITES TO CHECK TEMPERATURES

FACTORS THAT CHANGE BODY TEMPERATURE u. ILLNESS AND INFECTION u. EXERCISE AND/OR EXCITEMENT u. HIGH/LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE ENVIRONMENT

HOW IS HEAT LOST? u. PERSPIRATION u. RESPIRATION u. EXCRETION

HOW IS HEAT PRODUCED u. METABOLISM OF FOOD

FEVER u. TEMPERATURE ABOVE 100. 4

HYPERTHERMIA u. TEMPERATURE ABOVE 104 – DEATH AND CONVULSIONS • TEMPERATURE ABOVE 106

HYPERTHERMIA u. PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO HOT TEMPERATURES u. BRAIN DAMAGE u. SERIOUS INFECTION

HYPOTHERMIA u. TEMPERATURE BELOW 95 – DEATH • TEMPERATURE BELOW 93

HYPOTHERMIA u. STARVATION OR FASTING u. DECREASE IN MUSCLE ACTIVITY u. COLD TEMPERATURES IN THE ENVIRONMENT

Five Sites to Measure Temperature u. Oral u. Axillary/Groin u. Temporal u. Aural u. Rectal

Types of Thermometers Clinical (oral, axillary and rectal) • Electronic (oral, axillary, and rectal) • Tympanic- aural • • Temporal Scanning- temporal

Clinical Thermometer u. A clinical thermometer is a glass thermometer u. They can be filled with mercury or alcohol with red dye u. The component expands when exposed to heat u. To avoid Mercury poisioning OSHA recommends alcohol or digital thermometers

Reading a Clinical Thermometer u. Hold thermometer at eye level u. Rotate it slowly to find the solid column of mercury or alcohol u. The thermometer is read at the point where the line ends

Reading a Clinical Thermometer u. Each long line is read as 1 degree u. Each short line represents 2/10 of a degree. 2 u. Temperature is always recorded to the nearest 2/10 of a degree

Reading Thermometers u. Electronic, tympanic and temporal thermometers are easy to read because they have digital displays.

Documenting Temperature u 98 is an oral reading u 99 (R) is a rectal reading u 97 (Ax) is an axillary reading u 100 (A) is an aural reading u 101 (T) is a temporal reading

Conversion u. Converting Fahrenheit to Celsius u. C= (F-32)x 5/9 or 0. 5556 u. Converting Celsius to Fahrenheit u. F=(Cx 9/5 or 1. 8)+32